File-binder.



PATENTED FEB. s, 1903.

E. A. SHARP. FILE BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

m w z u l w WM 2 w W? No. 719,888. PATBNTBD FEB. 3, 1903. E. A. SHARP-Q FILE BINDER.

APPLICATION rILBfiAPR. 30. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

no MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. SHARP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FILE-BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,888, dated February 3, 1903.

Application filed April 30,1902.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. SHARP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in File-Binders, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a file and binder especially adapted for temporarily holding files of papers which are changed from time to time-such, for instance, as railway-tariffs and the like.

Another object of my invention I is to provide such a device which may be readily adapted for use with a small or large numberof papers and which shallfirmly hold the. papers bound therein and yet Will allow of the ready removal of any one paper without disturbing any of the other papers contained in the file.

A further object of my invention is to provide a file of the character described which shall be strong, durable, convenient, and inexpensive.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved file-binder. Fig. 2 is another perspective view showing the under side of the binder. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the binder spread open. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are details showing successive steps in the manufacture of one of the covers of my file-binder. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a complete cover. Fig. 9 is a detail View of one of the clamping-strips.

Fig. 10 is a detail view of the hinge-piece. Fig. 11 represents a piece of canvas, or the like, used in the binding process, and Figs. 12 and 13 are details showing how the metallie bindingis attached to the binding-strips.

Like letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In manufacturing my improved file-binder in its preferred form I first take a sheet of canvas or the like and form a pocket therein by folding one edge over and sewing part way across theedge, as shown in Fig. 6. I next turn the pocket so formed inside out, as

fierial No. 105,317. (No model.)

shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and insert in the pocket so formed the binding-section, consisting, preferably, of a piece of strawboard B bent upon itself, as shown in Figs. 8 and 10. I next insert a straight piece of cardboard O, which I call the hinge-piece, as shown in'Fig. 8, and next to that a large side piece D. The pieces 0 D are inserted outside of the pocket into which the piece B is fitted, and the upper and lower edges of the sheet of cloth A are folded over the upper and lower ends of the sections of cardboard U D, as shown in Fig. 8. I next laya strip F. of canvas or the like in position to extend from the inner face of one side of the bent stripB across the hinge-piece O to the side piece D. This strip of canvas E is glued, pasted, or otherwise suitably secured to the faces of the strips B C D, upon which it lies. The sheet of canvas A is next pasted or glued to the strips B C D, one free side being folded over upon the side piece D and the other free side being folded in upon the inner face of the strip B. I then have one cover of my device complete with a strong but flexible hinge and a pocket having two reinforced Walls and having no exposed edges on the outside thereof to be caught and torn apart, as well as giving a very neat and attractive finish to that portion of my binder. Into the pocket so formed I slip one of the clamping-strips F, formed, preferably, of a piece of sheet galvanized iron having a binding-lip f formed thereon by bending a portion of the strip at right angles to the body thereof and then bending this portion over upon itself, whereby I obtain a rigid, light, and yet rounded clamping edge. This binding-strip is provided with suitable perforations for a purpose hereinafter explained.

In the preferred construction of my device I provide my binder with a pair of guide-pins G, preferably in the form of a staple having its legs G G extending through and upwardly fromthe inner wall of the pocket formed in one of the covers and thence entirely through the like pocket formed in the upper cover. Upon these guide-pins are assembled a number of binding-strips H, each strip being preferably formed with a tab h, provided with perforations through which extend the guidepins G G.

ICO

I represents the clamping-screws, preferably in the form of a staple, the legs of which, I I, extend upwardly through the pocket in the lower cover and thence through the pocket in the upper cover, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Upon the ends of these screws which project through the upper cover of the binder are fitted washers J and thumbnuts K, whereby the clamping edges f of the clamping-strips F may be tightly clamped together.

To prevent any tilting of the clampingstrips F,which might interfere with the efiective holding of papers therebetween, I provide the adjusting-screws L, which extend upwardly through the pocket in the lower cover and project through the pocket in the upper cover. Clamping-screws I are preferably arranged about midway between the clamping edges f and the adj usting-screws L. By means of thumb-nuts M and washers N, fitted upon the clamping-screws L below the upper cover, and nuts 0 and washers P, fitted thereon just below the lower cover, the clamp ing-strips F maybe adjusted at any point, so as to prevent their being tipped or inclined toward each other when papers in the file are securely clamped between the clamping edges f. I thus obtain a direct and positive clamping action.

As tli'e papers in the file are bound therein merely by being clamped between the clamping edges f, it is evident that whenever the file contains any considerable number of papers there will be a tendency of those papers midway between the clamping edges f to bulge outwardly and away from the clamping edges. To prevent this action, I provide the guide-pins G with a plurality of binding-strips H, which are firmly secured to said guide-strips G, but are freely movable thereon. These guide-strips H may be supplied with suitable index letters or numbers, as shown in Fig. 3, and in binding papers in my improved file the papers are filed between these binding-strips H, so that at frequent intervals throughout the pile of papers bound in my binder there will be found one of the binding-strips H, which is securely attached to the guide-strips I. The result is that instead of having one single file of considerable thickness clamped between the clamps f I secure a number of files or layers of filed papers no one of which is of sufficient thickness to bulge at its center and escape from between the clamps.

In order to prevent the binding-strips H from being torn away from the guide-pins G, I bind the edges of the tabs h' of the bindingstrips with a metallic binding, which is attached to said edges in the manner shown in Figs. 12 and 13. First the metallic binding is bent over the edge of the binding-strip in the manner shown in Fig. 12, and then the metallic binding is bent over upon itself and upon the binding-strip in the manner shown in Fig. 13, the metallic binding being of horizontal position,

course flattened down upon the bindingstrip. The upper ends of the clamping screws I and the adj usting-screws L are inclosed by caps z" 2', respectively, which are screwed thereon.

Of course I do not limit myself to the use of the materials noted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is--- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of binding-clamps, of binding-posts upon which said clamps are loosely mounted, and means for clamping said clamps together, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of clamps, of a pair of binding-posts upon which said clamps are movably mounted, means for clamping said clamps together, and adjustable means for maintaining said clampsin a substantially substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with clamping means, of a plurality of binding-sheets movably attached to the device at some point between said clamping means, and means for tightening said clamping means to clamp papers between the free edges thereof, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, a cover comprising a pocket, a binding-section fitted within said pocket, a hinge-section and a cover-section flexibly connected on one side 4 by the material forming said pocket and connected on the other side by a separate strip of flexible material, substantially as described.

5. In a deviceof the class described, the combination with guiding means, of a pair of clamps fitted thereon and provided with clamping jaws whereby papers may be clamped without engaging said guiding means, a plurality of binding-strips fitted on said guiding means and between said clamps, and means for adjusting said clamps, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of clamps, of adj ustable means for holding the clamps substantially parallel with each other, and means for tightening said clamps, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with guiding means, of a pair of oppositely-disposed clamping-jaws guided by and projecting beyond said guiding means, adjustable means out of alinement with said guiding means for holding said jaws substantially parallel with each other, and means mounted on said guiding means for tightening said jaws, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a pair of guides, of an adjusting device, a pair of clamping-strips mounted upon said guides and said adjusting device, means for adjusting said clampingstrips toward each other, and means upon ing-strips, of a guide and an adjusting device upon which said strips are mounted, a plurality of binding-strips mounted between said clamping-strips, means for adjusting said clamping-strips toward each other, and adjusting means mounted upon said adjusting device and arranged to engage the inner faces of said clamping-strips, substantially as de- EDWARD A. SHARP.

scribed.

Witnesses:

CATHARINE M. SHARP, 0. R. BARNETT. 

